


Fermat's Spiral (#149 Faith)

by ladygray99



Series: A Silk Pillow [181]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Catholic, Community: numb3rs100, Drabble, M/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-14
Updated: 2011-06-14
Packaged: 2017-10-20 10:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/211642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladygray99/pseuds/ladygray99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ian's personal faith is a little complicated. He even has a hard time explaining it to himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fermat's Spiral (#149 Faith)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I try to have drabbles stand on their own but this one really counts more as a snippet. It's probably the last 300 words in ten pages of dialog I could write between these two. If I ever write longer stories in the 'verse Father Jacob (he doesn't even get named here) will be a regular OC.

“I’m scrambling your head aren’t I, Father?”

The priest opened his mouth then thought for a moment. “Somewhat.”

Ian laughed. “I believe Congress exists. I don’t necessarily have faith in them.”

The young priest laughed. “Did you ever have faith?”

“In Congress? God no.”

“In the Lord?”

Ian shrugged. “It’s hard to remember. My brother told me Santa didn’t exist when I was seven. It brought a lot of things into doubt.”

The priest nodded “I hear that a lot. Do you have any faith?”

Ian pulled down the back of his t-shirt and showed the priest a patch of inked skin.

“I don’t recognize that.” The priest said as Ian covered the bit of skin.

“ _r_ squared equals _a_ squared _theta_. For any given positive values of _theta_ there are two corresponding values of _r_ one being negative of the other. The resulting spiral will therefore be symmetrical about the line _y_ equals negative _x_.”

“Yes... but, faith?”

“I can’t see it. I know it’s there. It is part of me, always. Literally under my skin but I can’t see it. I have to have faith it’s there. The person who chose that mark, had it put there, he is always with me, he is under my skin, part of my heart and soul. I have faith in his promises, in his love, in his kindness and patience. All things I can’t see.”

“You can’t see the ink but you know it’s there. You’re not always with this person but you have faith in their love. So why not God?”

Ian sighed. “The tattoo hurt. I was there, that needle stings. Falling in love hurt. Felt like getting kicked in the guts. God never hurt me.”

“Really?”

“Wet road, bad breaks, humans exercising free will by being... complete bastards.”


End file.
